The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 02 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 02 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
6. Perhaps they will say, “That the reason of the thing requires such
a restriction to be made.” If it does, it must be on one of these
two accounts; because without such a restriction, the discourse would
either be apparently absurd, or would contradict some other scripture.
But this is not the case. It will plainly appear, when we come to
examine the several particulars, that there is no absurdity at all
in applying all which our Lord hath here delivered, to all mankind.
Neither will it infer any contradiction to any thing else he has
delivered, nor to any other scripture whatever. Nay, it will farther
appear, that either all the parts of this discourse are to be applied
to men in general, or no part; seeing they are all connected together,
all joined as the stones in an arch, of which you cannot take one away,
without destroying the whole fabrick.
7. *We may, lastly, observe, how our Lord teaches here. And surely, as
at all times, so particularly at this he speaks _as never man spake_.
Not as the holy men of old; altho’ they also spoke _as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost_. Not as _Peter_ or _James_, or _John_ or _Paul_.
They were indeed wise master-builders in his church. But still in this,
in the degrees of heavenly wisdom, the servant is not as his Lord.
No, nor even as himself, at any other time, or on any other occasion.
It does not appear, that it was ever his design, at any other time or
place, to lay down at once the whole plan of his religion, to give
us a full prospect of Christianity, to describe at large the nature
of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Particular
branches of this he has indeed described, on a thousand different
occasions. But never besides here, did he give, of set purpose, a
general view of the whole. Nay, we have nothing else of this kind in
all the Bible: unless one should except that short sketch of holiness,
delivered by God in those ten words or commandments, to _Moses_, on
mount _Sinai_. But even here how wide a difference is there between
one and the other? _Even that which was made glorious had no glory in
this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth_, 2 Cor. iii. 10.
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